Maine put three starters in double figures Wednesday night, sending the Black Bears past the University of New Hampshire 56-46 in America East womens basketball action at Lundholm Gym in Durham, NH.
12 first half turnovers by the home Wildcats allowed the Bears to take an 11 point first half lead, behind 10 points each from Blanca Millan and Tanesha Sutton. Maine held a 31-26 halftime lead.
UNH used a late third quarter surge after Maine had pushed the lead to double figures once again. The Wildcats ended the third on a 7-0 run to cut the Maine lead to 43-39.
UNH (14-6, 5-2 America East), tied it on a Carly Pogue jumper two minutes into the final quarter. After Maine jumped ahead again by four, the Wildcats rallied for the final time to tie it 45-45. Maine ended the game on a 11-1 run to give UNH their first home loss of the season (7-1).
Millan finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Sutton had 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Fanny Wadling added 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals. Maine has now three games in a row and improve to 12-8, 5-2 AE. The Bears jump into a second place tie in the league standings with UNH, both one game behind first place Albany.
Pogue was the games high scorer and only double digit scorer for UNH, as she finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. The loss snaps the Wildcats four game winning streak.
Maine will host UMBC on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center.
